Left school with very good GCSEs back in 2003
We were planning to move abroad so hadn't applied for college and had no intention of ever going to one
Nan got very sick, move abroad cancelled to care for her (which I did until her death 2 years into my PhD), applied to college the Friday before term
Got in, left after 3 days because I hated it. Considered my options and applied for a load of jobs, nothing was happening so I reluctantly went back to the college. Still hated it, so spent very little time there, very little time working, loads of time in the pub playing in metal bands and (at that point unsuccessfully) chasing girls
Get the results and they are predictably awful. The college made us all apply to uni even if we didn't want to go, which I obviously did not. I got into one on a course I barely cared about and lasted a couple of weeks, I think I actually went in like 3 times. Dropped out pretty much before my registration had been confirmed, took my crap A Levels, and got a job
Spent the next few years skivvying in jobs - concreting, labouring (I had been doing this since I was very young, about 13) and eventually on a dockside chemical plant
Got sick of that place, left in very bad circumstances after a period of bad illness and after going into a meeting and trying to paste my boss. Dragged out by the fitters, who told me to get my stuff and go home. Wrote '**** your job, I quit' on a torn envelope and walked out head held high
Was sick for a wee time and after that had an opportunity to work abroad, which I did for the better part of a year - bar work, door work, fitting solar panels (weird one). Came home and thought 'I need a degree if I want a job that isn't crap'. At the time I was getting into Buddhist and Hindu philosophy, so scouted aound for options that'd take me with crap A Levels
Heard a guy in a uni close by specialised in this stuff, so got in touch. yes, he did, I should appy even though y grades were nowhere near good enough etc. So I did, got in via widening participation as a mature student from a poor background, coupled with an ace reference from my old RE teacher and a good PS talking about Buddhist metaphysics
Over the ensuing 9 years I would get a first class degree, distinction at MA, highest in my cohort for both, published twice by my MA year, then a PhD
Finished that and thought eh, I quite like teaching, I'll challenge meself and do a PGCE. Went to Oxford and did that
And here we are.